06/10/2024
When garage doors go off track, they can be a danger to you and your family. If the garage door is not supported adequately, it can cause damage to both personal property and persons residing in the home. Thatās because garage doors are designed to carry an immense weight ā up to two tons!
Why is a Garage Door Off Track a Serious Issue?
Garage doors are hefty. If they arenāt working properly, they can accidentally fall on cars and people, which can cause serious injuries and even death.
An off-track garage door may also cause structural damage to your home. If your garage track system isnāt working correctly, it can affect the rest of your garage.
Off-track garage doors also prevent you from moving cars in and out of your garage. If bad weather strikes and your garage door is stuck, you wonāt be able to move your vehicles inside to protect them from the elements. As a result, they could suffer damage from high winds, falling trees, or hail.
Common Causes of a Garage Door Being Off Track
Broken or Bent Hardware
Garage doors require certain pieces to work effectively. If you notice loose bolts near your garage door, chances are you have a broken or loose component on your garage door. This may have caused your garage door to go off track.
If one part is broken, it causes the rest of the system to fail.
Bent Rails
Garage doors rest on rollers that move along rails or tracks to open and close the door. Sometimes, these rails become bent out of shape. These problems usually occur due to poor installation, low-quality rails, or an impact that knocks the track out of shape.
Debris and Obstructions
Sometimes, garage doors go off track because of outside interference. Check your garage door tracks for any debris, such as garbage, ice, snow, or mud. If you use your garage as a storage space, one of your items might have gotten stuck and knocked your door off track.
Old or Broken Garage Door Rollers
Garage doors rely on rollers to move up and down their tracks. Sometimes, these rollers break, especially if they are old.
The door was hit by a car
Damaged garage doors are typically caused by moving a vehicle in or out of the garage before the door is completely open. Door panels or even the entire door may be damaged and need a replacement.
Also, a vehicle may scrape or bump one of the tracks, creating a point of damage that causes the door to jam or, even worse, fall out of the track!
A spring broke
The springs on garage doors do wear out over time. Many doors have two springs. If one spring breaks, the door may become lopsided and jam up. If both springs were to break, the door could be stuck entirely or fall out of the tracks.
A cable supporting the door snapped
Cables on the door connect to the springs that support the weight of the garage door. As with springs breaking, if one cable breaks, the door may be lopsided and jam or may not fully open and close. If the weight causes the second cable to fail, the whole door will become inoperable.
How to Fix a Garage Door Off Track
If your garage door is off track, fixing it as soon as possible is important. However, fixing garage doors can be dangerous if you donāt know what youāre doing. Thatās why knowing the right way to fix a garage door off-track is so important. The safest option is to contact a garage door repair company with the tools and skills to fix your off-track door. Contact us today to schedule your garage door evaluation or maintenance (601) 248-7888.
